Battle Hunter
by MBF
Summary: Based on Battle Hunter (a 10 'RPG' put out by A1 games). I felt the game could've been something. Sorry, that sounds self-righteous. Gah, anyway, this is my attempt to fictionalize it. Attempts to bring gameplay functions into a semi-realistic setting hav
1. 1

_ Hey! Hey, you! You're new around here right? I can always pick 'em. Where are you from? The west? Not many people from the west out here. Though, I suppose some a you guys had to open up eventually, right? So, who do you figure for the Hunt? What! You don't know about the Hunt? Must be a real backwater establishment you're from._

_ Anyway, after The Ruin there were a lot of abandoned sites that we now, appropriately, call 'ruins.' Now, in these ruins are artifacts from before The Ruin and are pretty precious. However, due to bad conditions and monsters the artifacts are all but inaccessible. That's where the Hunters come in. Hunters are the people who excavate these ruins. These excavations are being televised and regulated. An organized excavation of a ruin is called a 'Hunt.' There are two types of Hunts: sanctioned and unsanctioned._

_ Prior to a Hunt being scheduled, scanning and seismic technology is used to get a look at a ruin. It identifies relics inside and researchers note what ones would be of value. The biggest value ones are books, data discs,audio/video recording discs. Basically, anything that would contain information.One relic is chosen arbitrarily from those identified on one floor of the ruin. It could be a priceless piece of technology, or a worthless doll. Four Hunters are then scheduled to go after it. Whoever can get the relic and take it to the designated exit zone gets 5000 points. A Hunter also gets 1000 points for each additional relic recovered. Hunters also earn points based on their aggressiveness and movement. A Hunt ends when a relic is brought to the exit zone or all 4 Hunters are incapacitated._

_ A Hunter is allowed 5 inventory slots. These are used for all items beyond basic clothing. It is slanted to be fair. A suit of body armor takes 1 slot. Extra ammunition is counted with the gun.Inventory slots are taken up by relics found in the ruin. This limits what and how much a Hunter can bring into a ruin._

_ Now, I bet your wondering how they keep this safe and enforce the rules down in what is essentially a dungeon. Well, each Hunter has an arm band. This acts as a tracking device for them while they're in the ruin, a camera, generates a protective force field, simulates damage, teleports the wearer, detects and punishes rule infractions, stores and displays a ruin map, and manages the Hunter's 'hand.'_

_ Too much to take in at once? I'll run down the functions for you. First, the tracking device. The televised view will occasionally segue to a map of the ruin which displays each Hunter's position. It also allows the crews to see when a Hunter has reached the exit zone._

_ The camera. Now, what would television be without cameras? The camera isn't attached to the arm band, but it does receive instructions from it. The camera itself is a small, flying, ball that follows a Hunter in the ruin. It's equipped with night vision lenses for dark hallways._

_ The force field is for safety. It deflects projectiles and hand weapons and relays the info to the arm band's computer. It's-semi resistant to the elements in that lethal or incapacitating heat and cold will be protected against. It's really an ingenious tool. It allows Hunts to be bloodless blood sports. _

_ However, just because it won't let you get killed doesn't mean you're off the hook. The arm band connects right to the central nervous system through the forearm. The bullet may break up against the force field, but you'll still feel like you've been shot. It can also realistically simulate debilitating injuries. I mean, if a Hunter is shot in the arm, the arm band can disable the use of that arm. It can also, in the case of non-lethal attacks, open cuts._

_ When the force field and arm band report lethal damage the victim is teleported to a random location in the ruin and paralyzed completely for 12 minutes. If another Hunter has caused the lethal damage then before teleporting the Hunter is allowed to take any 1 inventory item from the victim. The arm band also randomly teleports a Hunter if they enter the exit zone without the target ruin. _

_ Being directly connected to the central nervous system, the arm band can also punish for breaking rules. If a Hunter tries to pick up a relic when his inventory is full he'll get aparalyzing headache every time he tries until he removes one item from his inventory first. However, larger rule breaking results in the Hunter being instantly teleported from the ruin and any relics they may have picked up are left behind. Larger rule breakingconstitutes trying to remove or disable arm bands._

_ A map can be displayed for a Hunter as a 3D holographic image VIA the arm band. It shows topographical information as well as the location of the exit zone and relics. It doesn't show the positions of other Hunters, monsters, except in certain instances._

_ There are two instances in which a Hunter's location will be revealed. When a Hunter is dealt lethal damage, the position he was 'killed' at will be revealed to other Hunters for a period of 10 seconds. When a Hunter finds the target item his position will be revealed to the other Hunters until the end of the Hunt or untilhe loses the target relic._

_ Every 12 minutes a Hunter is given a digital'card.' The Hunter's hand holds a maximum of 5 cards and is shown on the arm band's touch-screen display. There are four types: damage, defense, trap, and exit. Touching a card on the screen will activate it._

_ Damage cards are activated during a fight. For a ten second period other arm bands will record trauma at a magnified rate based on the number on the card. The numbers range from 3 to 9 in addition to a special 'S-Card.' The 'S-Card' just about guarantees lethal damage. However, damage cards are ineffective against monsters as they don't have arm bands._

_ Defense cards do just the opposite. They reduce incoming damage based on a number on the card. Like damage cards, defense cards range from 3 to 9 and include an 'S-Card' which negates all incoming damages. Chances of getting a given card decreases at an inverse rate to the card's value. Still with me? Good. Defense cards can also be used to avoid triggering a trap and they worki against monsters._

_I guess I'd better address those monsters now. In most places that Hunts take place in there are automated guard robots that are still active. Thinking that Hunters are invaders they attack. These monsters are the primary reason Hunts are used at all. Normal military folded under attacks from monsters. However, specialist efforts proved successful._

_ Now, for trap cards. There are four varieties of traps: damage, leg damage, stun, and empty._

_ Damage traps, when activated; make the victim feel as if they'd just been in an explosion. These traps can deal lethal damage to a wounded victim._

_ Leg damage traps inflict crippling cramps to the victim's legs. This reduces them to little better than a hobble. It also makes them easy targets. It lasts the duration of a Hunt or until the Hunter is dealt lethal damage._

_ Stun traps can really hurt a Hunter. Moreso than any other trap.Not in a physical way, though. When activated, the arm band completely paralyzes a hunter for a 12 minute period. The victim will not draw a card during this time._

_ Empty traps give almost no indication they've gone off. As the name implies, an empty trap removes all cards from the victim's hand. As a bonus, the victim will not draw a card for a 12 minute period._

_ Exit cards are the rarest and best. Most Hunts finish without anyone seeing one. When activated, exit cards will automatically teleport a Hunter to the exit zone._

_ Damage cards are red on the arm band display. Defense cards are yellow, traps are green, and exit cards are blue. Cards were introduced to balance the hunts by creating a luck-of-the-draw variable. There are 80 cards to a deck, not counting the 5 each Hunter starts with, and 1 deck to a Hunt. If a Hunter is at his maximum of 5 cards in a hand, a new one will not be dealt to him at the drawing times. Also, hunters can't use multiple damageor defense cards simultaneously. They also can't use damage and defense cards at the same time._

_ All this applies to sanctioned Hunts. Unsanctioned Hunts are a whole other animal. They're sponsored by private citizens that don't go through the proper channels, IE the Commission. Sometimes the private citizen finds a ruin or suspects a major find and wants it excavated. Sometimes a rich person just wants some personal entertainment._

_ Equipment for unsanctioned Hunts isn't guaranteed. It ranges from being almost official: full arm bands and suchto nothing. Usually, unsanctioned Hunts provide an arm band with only the teleport capability useable as it is the only model available to the civilian population._

_ Unsanctioned Hunts aren't all bad. They generally have a higher a payout and you don't necessarily have to becompetitive unless the sponsor wishes otherwise. However, there usually isn't much in the way of rules and protection. Hunters get insurance with the job, but no insurance company covers injuries incurred during an unsanctioned Hunt. It's a risky venture and there have been fatalities._

_Hunters don't do the hunts for fun, either. A successful Hunter lives quite well. But, they need a Broker, like me. I manage their accounts and schedule for the Hunts. I publicize them._

_A side source of income for Hunters is relics. All relics aside from the target relic are fair game for a Hunter to keep. This is because the target relic has a buyer set up before the Hunt begins.However, most of them are useless so they end up getting sold.A Broker tries to find a buyer for the Hunter's relics, taking a nominal commission for this service of course._

_Unfortunately, it's not a clean game. There's a lot of politics to it. And then there's the B PHS, but you'll learn the rest on your own._


	2. 2

Harm ran down the hall full speed,his righthand gripping the handle of his sword. The left was pressed to the pocket of his pants, keeping the data disc in its place. He could see the exit zone, it looked like a glowing green pillar,up ahead and he was certain to win.

He passed an intersection and a dark figure whirled out behind him. Harmskidded to a stopas he turnedandstarted to draw his sword. The figure was dressed in ablack cowboyhat that cast shadow on his face, leaving only his long, shoulder-length, thick, white hair out; and2 blackrobes that concealed his body. The first robe covered the second and fell from the figure's shoulders to his elbows. The second robe went to just above his ankles. A dull brown cross hungfrom his neck on a chain.The robes parted with the figure's arms as he aimed his two pistols. As Harm's hand started the pull the sword the firearms went off. Harm was lifted off his feet and thrown onto his back. Harm got up to one knee on the floor with excruciating pain in his chest. He glowed in a green light and found himself almost completely paralyzed. The figure approached him.

"You want the disc, Connor?" Harm asked, producing it from his pocket and holding it up between the index and middle fingers of his left hand.

Connor holstered one pistol, sliding it into the holster hidden under his robes. He seemed to think about it for a moment before reaching down and pulling Harm's sword and sheath from his belt.

Harm was puzzled as he was enveloped in green light and disappeared. He reappeared a bit further down the hall, right next to the exit zone. He was in luck, though Connor was racing down the hallway in the opposite direction. He only had to wait it out now.

-Later-

The low light of the room was enhanced by the glow of several cigarettes. A smoky haze hung up near the ceiling. Music,fast rock,played low adding a background to the conversations of the patrons.

A waitress exited the kitchen carrying two plates. On one plate was a steak, rare. On the other was a bowl of soup. She walked through the restaurant to her destination: a table in the back. Two men sat at the table. One was an older man who had brown hair tied into a short ponytail that hung down to his shoulders. He also had a receding hairline that had moved over the top of his head. He wore a rare tasteless Hawaiian shirt and jeans. The waitress set the steak down in front of him. The other was a much younger man, probably in his 20s. His hair was full and completely white. It was alsotied into a ponytail that extended to his shoulder-blades. He wore black pants and a leather trench coat. She set the soup in front of him.

"Alright, then. Ready to get down to business, Goria?" The Hawaiian shirt guy asked.

"If you are," The white-haired man responded.

"How many credits do you have?"

"Five hundred, Urza."

"Okay, tell ya what we'll do. I can set you up in a decent place for 100 credits a week to start. This'll give you4 weeks, counting foodcosts,to find steady work and once you have a job we'll recalculate your rent based on your salary. Sound good?"

"I guess. Where am I gonna findwork?"

Urza lifted a cigarette to his lips and flipped open his lighter. With a movement of his thumb the flame ignited on the wick and he moved it onto the end of his cigarette. When the cigarette caught fire he flipped the lighter closed. Urza took a drag before responding.

"You're strong as an ox; you can probably find work moving boxes at the warehouses. Those scientist-types are getting new relics every day and they'll definitely need help," Urza responded, pausing for another drag before he continued, "You ever consider becoming a Hunter? You're sure built like one."

"I'll pass," Goria responded.

"Suit yourself. I am a Broker, you know," Urza said.

"Used to be a broker."

"Watch it. I'll take your first week's rent in advance."

Goria reached intro his trench coat and produced a leather billfold. He opened it and took a plastic card from inside. He tosses it across the table where it slid underneath Urza's hand. Urza pocketed it and extended his hand. Goria grasped it and they shook.

-Later-

Goria slid the key into the lock and turned it as he twisted the doorknob. He pushed open the door and entered his apartment as he withdrew the key and pocketed it.

"Decent place my ass," Goria grumbled.

The room was in terrible condition. The ceiling had stains on it where rain had leaked through the roof. The floor had dried bits of what can loosely be called stuff on it. The wallpaper was peeling off. Other parts of the wall had holes in them. Ina corner was a small desk with a chair.The bed was small and looked like it hadn't seen a cleaning in years.

Goria walked to the bed and slung the duffel bag off his shoulder. He set it down at the foot of the bed on the floor. He took off his trench coat and threw it on a chair on the other side of the room. He didn't have a shirt on. Goria crouched down to untie his shoes. As his head lowered he got an eye-level view of the bed. He paused for a moment.

"I'll leave them on tonight."

Goria turned and laid down on the bed,lacing his hands behindhis head. The room did have a few saving graces. It had a television on a wooden stand. There was also a window that looked out onto the street that was unbroken. The bathroom seemed to get a regularly cleaning.

"So, Urza does have a sense of decency."

Goria thought back on the last week. To his arrival in town and traveling through the desert. The thing was, was that was all he could remember. His earliest conscious memory was waking up a ways off the road in the middle of the desert with his duffle bag. He had made a small shelter out of a crevice in a rock formation. It was like he'd been hiding.

After the initial shock wore off he went through his possessions and found 500 credits and a photo ID that told him his first name, Goria,and age, 19. He found a map and followed into the town. He'd stopped in the first building he found and met Urza. After spending 2 nights on the streets he found that Urza owned an apartment complex and got him to rent an apartment to him.

Urza was a slimy little man who only agreed to something if he knew what was in it for him in advance. Goria didn't like the man. But, Urza knew how to get things and get things done. If Goria was going to live a decent life, he'd need that connection.

Of course, decent and normal lives were hard to come by. It had been 62 years since The Ruin. Goria had read about that through thebooks the scientist kept at a public library. However, the books neglected to mention what The Ruin was. And 62 years after it happened, the last of those who remembered were dying off. It was a global catastrophe and Goria deduced it was most likely the result of the actions of people.

After The Ruin people gradually began to reform themselves. They still had most of the technology they had before The Ruin, or at least access to them via ruins. However, they barely had the ability to repair damaged pieces and no way to produce new ones. At least not yet.

The town Goria was in, Arkland, had gone as far as to reform government. As far as they knew, which was very little, they were alsothe technological center of the world. Working televisions and radios kept the populace informed, or atleast as informed as those in control wanted them,and they also fielded a large crew of scientists. The governmental leaders were, however, no help. Their policies and styles ranged varied greatly and ultimately they were just figureheads.

Enterprising men and womenhad set up the economy again and began to influence through it. A large corporation had sprung up and was, more or less, in control. Luckily for those in the Arkland area, it did seem to be benevolent. Goria supposed they figured that exploitation and corruption would get them nowhere in this environment.

The reintroduction of an economy was a slow course. The first step for the corporation was to introduce a new calendar. It was the same as the old except that the years rolled over. The era is now called A.R. for After Ruin. The A.R. era, oddly enough, was started before the calendar was instituted.

The first method of exchange encouraged by the corporation was bartering. This allowed them to gauge what the people thought was valuable in comparison to other objects. Since the corporations had most of the technology, this allowed them to accrue a considerable amount of wealth. In A.R. 30 they reintroduced money in the form of credits. Using the information they'd gathered during the bartering phase, the corporation published a price conversion chart.

The corporation loaned money out freely with no interest to encourage small businesses. Periodic injections into the monetary supply supported rapid growth. Unfortunately, the corporation still didn't have what they need to revolutionize Arkland into a capitalist utopia. They need manufacturing. But no operable manufacturing plants have been found in the area and resources, particularly capital and labor,were not readily available enoughto start one.

The only way the corporation was going to get what it needed was to excavate technology from ruins. The corporation began programs to activelty excavate Ruins in AR 41. The corporation had established a volunteer military years earlier and put it to work excavating ruins. Casualty rates were unacceptable and the corporation quickly pulled the military from the effort. The corporation then took notice of the successful freelance efforts and the term 'Hunter' was coined.

To capitalize on the mercenary nature of Hunters, the corporation established a formal league for them to operate through. The symbiotic relationship between the Hunters and the corporation was born. The corporation fed their desire for competition, battle, and profit in a non-lethal atmosphere. The Hunters provided the corporation with the technology it needed.

Goria closed his eyes briefly. That was almost verbatim from a book he'd thumbed through. His information recall was spectacular. His memory was photographic. If his memory was so good, why the hell could he only remember up to a week ago?


	3. 3

Goria hefted the box off the shelf. It was pretty heavy but he didn't show any strain over the weight. He walked a few steps to the cart and set the box down on the growing pile of boxes on the cart. Sweat beaded on his forehead. It was about midday and the warehouse was starting toheat up.

Goria had gotten a job in a warehouse moving boxes 3 weeks after moving into his apartment. Relics moved in and out of the facility every day in droves for shipping to other facilities in what was considered the 'known world.'

The pay was 500 credits per week. As a gesture of kindness, Urza had delayed increasing Goria's rent until the originalfour week period was up. After that, rent would be 300 credits per week. The remaining 200 credits would be more than enough to buy food each week. With some saving, Goria could be able to fix up the apartment. He'd have to get Urza's permission to renovate but, Goria doubted that Urza would deny anything that would increase the property value.

Goria hefted another box and placed it on the cart. He walked around to the other side and wiped some sweat from his head. He grabbed the handle and began pushing it through the warehouse. Shelves of boxes arranged on a network of aisles filled the massive room. Low-hanging fluorescent lights provided meager visibility.

Goria pushed the cart through a set of double doors and into the loading room. The boxes would be sorted by destination here and loaded onto trucks to be sent to their respective destinations. Goria turned the cart over to the loading workers and walked to get another. His boss, Jim, stopped him.

"Hey, man. Take a break. You've been working since 6 AM. You probably want to prove yourself or something like that, but you've got plenty of job security. Go into the lounge. The Hunt is about to start," Jim said.

Goria wasn't trying to impress Jim. The truth was Goria simply wasn't tired.

"That'll take nearly two hours," Goria replied.

"Oh well. You work twelve hour shifts. Consider it your regular break and lunch break at once," Jim responded.

Goria gave up and nodded. Jim smiled as Goria left the room, peeling off his work gloves. Goria crossed through the warehouse to another room marked 'lounge' and walked inside as he stuffed his gloves into the back pocket of his pants. Two other workers were on break. They acknowledged Goria as he entered with nods. One poured a cup of coffee from the machine and offered it to Goria. Goria nodded backand took it.

The first worker, Wren, turned excitedly to the second, Will, and spoke, "Lookingforward to this one? The scheduled Hunters are Connor, Batts, Malfane, and Wenda."

"Damn, it might be a blow out."

Goria sipped the coffee as the television screen showed two men sitting behind a desk. They were both dressed in suits and had stacks of paper in front of them. Ear-piece microphones were clearly visible on them.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Hunt. This is Carl Ranethe," the one to the left said.

"And this is Kendill McGee," said the other.

"Today's Hunt will take place inside a ruin that was once, researchers have learned, a prison. The ruin has collapsed creating one walk-able floor. The mazelike nature of this facility and the few-and-far between statuses of relics will make this a tough challenge for our Hunters," Ranethe said.

"Speaking of the Hunters, let's introduce them to the home audience," Kendill replied.

The screen changed to show a young man in his 20s. He had wild black hair. He wore loose black pants and a black shirt and blue knee pads, bullet-proof vest, and elbow pads over them. He wore blue wrist guards over black fingerless gloves. On his forehead, intermingled with his wild hair, was a pair of goggles.

"Malfane is the youngest of the Hunters competing today. He quickly rose through the lower ranks and reached the status of Class A Hunter in his 3rd year. Malfane has a decent lifetime record with 150 Hunts under his belt. Fifty of those Hunts have him coming in first, 45 in second, 35 in third, and 20 Hunts in fourth," said Ranethe.

The picture changed to show the vest Malfane wore to the right of a black automatic pistol. To the right of the pistol was the pair of goggles. The objects rotated in place.

"Malfane takes three pieces of equipment with him into a ruin. The first is his sidearm. Nicknamed 'Bernice,' this semi-automaticweapon was one Malfane recovered himself in a ruin and took a liking to. The clip holdsquite a fewbullets and Malfane carries two extras with him into a ruin. Thesecond piece of equipment is Malfane's custom-made bullet-proof vest. Last year, during a Hunt, Malfane waskilled repeatedly and his armband took it out on his body. Since then Malfane uses a bullet-proof vest. It serves both to increase his longevity in a Hunt, but also to protect a permanentinjury he incurred that fateful Hunt," Kendill explained.

"The third piece of equipment is a pair of night-vision goggles. Malfane also excavated these himself. The obvious use is to allow him to see clearly in dark ruins," Ranethe said.

The picture changed to show a young woman,just a bit older than Malfane. She was very pretty and had black hair that came down to her shoulders at the back and her jawline at the sides. She wore black clothing similar to Malfane's, including a bullet proof vest of similar style.

"Wenda has been something of a wild card on the Hunt circuit. Her career has been mixed with ups and downs. Her rookie season was incredible. The entire year she placed in first 38 out of 41 times. Her second year was marred by an accident. While training with her Broker she tore a muscle in her leg and yet insisted on competing. It hampered to such a point that eventually the governingforce of the Hunts stepped in and suspended her from competition until her injury was healed. This sidelined her for the remainder of the year. The next year she came out and gave everything she had. She put up a fair performance. This, her fourth year, has yet to take off in either direction. Her standing record of 48 first place finishes, 12 second place, 18 third place, and 52 fourth place illustrated her career," Kendill illustrated.

The screen changed to show the bullet-proof vest and a shotgun. They both rotated slowly giving a 360-degree view.

"Wenda's equipment pieces of choice include a bullet-proof vest. No special story here. Wenda's always had it and nobody knows where it came from," Ranethe said.

"Her firearm, on the other hand, was a gift from her father. He taught her how to shoot at the age of 7. She got into hunting at age 10 and fell in love with the powerful shotgun you see on your screen. She carries it on her back and although it might seem cumbersome to do so, she can draw it at lightning speed. She carries 30 extra shells into a ruin," Kendill said.

The screen changed to show a grotesque figure. It was huge and muscled. The thing had a tough face and a blonde Mohawk. Over its eyes a black visor. Its hands were covered by what appeared to bemetal gauntlets and its feetby metal boots. Its only other clothing was a skin-tight blue spandex suit.

"Batts suffered a terribletragedy as a child. It left him horriblydeformed. Batts lost both hands and both his lower legs in addition to being left blind by theincident.His father, however, was wealthy and paid for extensive surgery. As a result, Batts no longer sees in the normal manner. The black glass over his eyes is an optic sensor that relays information directly to his brain. His hands are now cybernetic attachments and under each wrist lays his equipment piece," Kendill said.

The picture changed to a close up of Batts's arm. The hand unhinged and slid down underneath the wrist.

"Hidden beneath each wrist is aflamethrower. Batts employs this both as a weapon and a tool. Creating a wall flame allows him to withdraw from combat cleanly, or back a target into a corner. Batts is a veteran Hunter with over 300 Hunts under his belt, 92 of them being in first place," Ranethe finished.

The picture changed to show a figure draped in black clothes. A large black cowboyhat cast a shadow over his face. Black robes obscured his body. He wore brown leather fingerless gloves that extended up to forearm, with extra padding on the forearms. Around his neck was a necklace with a cross on it. White hair traveled from underneath the hat andshaded his face further.

"Connor is the most prolific Hunter ever. There is no question as to his skill. There is no question as to his results. However, little is known about this Hunter. He has shunned the notoriety that comes with his success. He does no endorsements. He holds no press conferences. As far as we know, he's never spoken a word since he wandered into Arkland a little over a decade ago. However, his record speaks for itself. Connor has participated in over 500 Hunts. He has about 300 first place finishes. That is an incredible ratio. Connor has never placed lower than second in the last 6 years of his career," Ranethe said.

"There's no doubt about this Hunter. You have to remember, he still plays like he's in his prime. It's like he never ages. Connor is thecompetitor every Hunter wants to be and the one no Hunter wants to go up against," Kendill added.

The screen changed to atwin pair ofpistols. They were black semi-autoamtics.

"Connor's weapons of choice are two pistols. They're not automatic but they get the job done," Kendill said.

"Connor carries an unknown amount of extra ammunition with him into a Hunt," Ranethe added.

"While the Hunters are getting prepped, let's show the target item," Kendill suggested.

The screen switched and showed ablue print of the facility and a glowing dot in the center. Thecamera moved taking the dot through hallways and inside a small room. The dot pulsated indicating the position of the relic. The screen faded and showed a small, tattered, rectangularcardboard box.

"These playing cards once held a significant value in pre-ruin days. Contests were held with these cards and much money was won and lost because of them. It might seem like an insignificant item, and we're not going to pretend that this is the find of the century, but anything related to pre-Ruin culture is priceless," Kendill said.

"The other six relics in this ruin are 2 CD-ROM discs; a pistol; an electronic keycard with the reader; a bullet-proof see-through shield; and a book," Ranethe said.

The screen zoomed out on the target item after fading back in on the mapbut kept it marked with a blinking red dot. Six blinking yellow dots appeared to indicate the position of the other relics.

"In addition to Hunters, the monsters present in this ruin will be a constant challenge. We know of two types to exist within the ruin. The first is a CAL sentry robot," Kendill said.

The screen changed to show the monster. It had four metal legs ending in ball-points that connected to a circular platform with diagonal black and yellow stripes running around it. Connected to the platform was a gray cylinder encased in a blue one. Attached to the side of the cylinder was an arm-like apparatus that slimmed down as it moved away from the body. It was shaped more like a gun than an arm. Near the top of the cylinder red glass covered an optic censor which moved back and forth under the long rectangular glass giving off an eerie red glow.

"The CAL, or Counter-Attack Laser robot, records show, was designed to stun would-be attackers. The weapon mounted on the side accomplishes this by firing a beam that can disrupt the target's central nervous system on a direct hit to the head. Otherwise, nasty burns are in store. Its secondary method of attack is to ram targets at high speed. Because of the non-lethal nature of this machine, the prison version is designed to work in tandem with the RAD model," Ranethe stated.

The screen changed to show a larger robot with four legs that seemed like a spider's. Small grey legs arced into yellow armor plated legs that ended with a tip on the ground. The legs were fixed to a yellow platform. Four flashlights were fixed on the platform. A gray 'torso' formed up into an armored, oversized head with 3 glowing green eyes. On the right shoulder a large shield was fixed with ashooting hole at the top that a machinegun poked through. The left arm was grey thatended in an armored claw. All of the armor was a dark shade of red.

"The RAD, Radical Attack Drone, sits back and waits. If the CAL fails, the RAD uses lethal force. The weapon on its left shoulder was able to be interchanged to a variety of weapons. A net-launching device, machinegun, bazooka, and grenade launcher were all possibilities. The claw on the right arm is strong enough to crush steel. The heavy armor makes it very hard to take out, but well aimed shots at the unarmored portions can go along way towards disabling this beast," Kendill said.

The screen flipped back to the two announcers.

"Initial scans show that there at least 13 monsters roaming the ruin. At least 6 CALs and 7 RADs. They don't seem to be operating in groups, which is a good thing for our Hunters," Ranethe said.

"Now, let's go down to the pit where the Hunters are being prepped. Turning it over to correspondent Hat Lore," Kendill said.

The screen changed to a room with a lot going on in the background. People were moving around as was equipment. In the center was a man dressed in a suit holding a microphone.

"Thanks, Kendill. The Hunters are loading weapons and gathering extra ammunition. The tension here is almost nonexistent," Hat said.

Malfane walked across the background and Hat turned and inquired about a brief interview. Malfane nodded and Hat brought him into the foreground of the camera.

"You're facing some stiff competition today, what do you think your chances are?" Hat said.

"That's for the gamblers to decide, Hat," Malfane replied, smiling.

"Ha, well said. Do you have a particular strategy for this Hunt?" Hat asked.

"I sure do," Malfane replied.

"Care to elaborate?"

"Heh, not with so many ears around," Malfane said, indicating with his finger, "I'll say this though, I think that if I hit the ruin fast and hard I can come out on top."

"Worried about anything particularly?"

"Not really. This is my first Hunt since the injury that I'm going against RADs again. I'm really eager to avenge that. Of course, there's also Connor. Only a fool wouldn't be worried about him," Malfane replied.

"How will you deal with him?"

"I'll keep that one to myself. Hey, listen, I've got to go. They're about to boot up the armbands. I'll be more than happy to continue after this, alright?"

"No problem,"

Malfane patted Hat on the back before moving off camera.

"There you have it, folks. Back to you, Kendill and Carl,"

Again, the screen changed to show Kendill and Ranethe.

"Thanks, Hat. Let's go to the start room for the booting up of the armbands and the start of the Hunt," Kendill said.

The screen changed and now showed the four Hunters assembled in one room in a line. In front of them was the crew, four men who sat in front of computers. One was to monitor the Hunter's positions, one was the monitor the Hunter's status, a third to monitor the television signals and switch cameras for the TV audience, and a fourth who could monitor the inside of the ruin for external factors.

They each hit a key on their keyboards and the armbands on the Hunter's right forearms came to life. After a few seconds they were done and the Hunters were enveloped in green light and disappeared.

The camera changed and showed Malfane in a decently lit room. It was a bathroom and it was disgusting. Toilets were not well maintained and all were rustic and corroded. Mirrors were shattered, sinks were smashed. Malfane spun and found Wenda directly behind him.

Malfane drew his pistol from the holster on the back of his belt. Wenda drew the shotgun over her shoulder. Both weapons came to bear at the same time. The standoff lasted a considerable time in silence. After a minute words were exchanged that the audience couldn't pick up. After another minute both weapons were lowered and the Hunters exited the room in the same direction. Malfane stopped Wenda and stood at the exit of the room. He pressed down on the screen of his arm band and a green square was lit on the floor. He moved around a bit, adjusting the radius to his liking before tapping the screen again and setting the trap. Wenda and Malfane ran down the hall.

"Malfane and Wenda end up in the same room and team up! This will be an interesting development for the Hunt! Before leaving, Malfane sets a damage trap," Kendill observes, his voice-over coming clear.

"Of course, this alliance will likely be short lived. There can only be one winner, after all," Ranethe added.

The screen changed to Batts. He was in a library. Shelves of books had been knocked over. Computer equipment was strewn about. It was smashed and destroyed beyond repair. Batts was crouched behind an overturned desk as a CAL took potshots at the desk with its laser.

"Batts is pinned down by a CAL. That desk won't hold up forever," Kendill announced.

Batts steadied himself and thrust forward, hurling the desk at the CAL. The wood broke apart against the metal frame of the robot, but it still delivered some damage, smashing the optic sensor. Batts was on it immediately, finishing it off with a concentrated attack from both flamethrowers.

"In a brilliant move, Batts takes out the CAL and earns some aggression points from the judges," Ranethe added.

The television periodically switched between the Hunters. The announcers gave play-by-play of what was happening. Hunters traveled to different location searching for the target item. After an hour, it still hadn't been uncovered. Malfane had found the pistol. Connor had gotten a CD-ROM disc and the book. Batts had found the shield.

A few monsters had shown themselves. Malfane and Wenda took down a RAD together. Connor destroyed 2 CALs. Batts had encountered a RAD armed with a bazooka but was forced to retreat in the face of superior weaponry.

The television followed Connor as he ran down a hall. He turned a corner and saw Wenda and Malfane down the hall at another intersection. Rubble was strewn about the hall and Connor dove behind a large metal crate as he drew his pistols. Connor popped up and saw that Malfane and Wenda were talking with their backs to him. Connor took aim and fired. One shot missed and ricocheted down the hall. The other struck Malfane in the back causing him to stumble forward. The bullet-proof vest saved him. Wenda turned and dragged Malfane around the corner.

"Our first fight between Hunters! Connor catches Malfane and Wenda off guard but fails to inflict lethal damage. This could develop into a lengthy shootout which would leave Batts free to search the ruin," Kendill said.

Connor waited patiently with his pistols poised. Malfane poked his head out and Connor fired. Malfane quickly brought his head out of the line of fire. The television changed to show Malfane and Wenda talking. Malfane used his hand to indicate that Wenda should move through the halls and come up behind Connor. Malfane handed her his two pistols and ammunition and she gave him the shotgun and her extra bullets. Malfane edged closer to the intersection and dove forward and rolled, amidst Connor's shots, behind a pile of concrete rubble.

"Showing some strategy, Malfane and Wenda split up hoping to catch Connor from behind and leaving Malfane to a shootout," Ranethe said.

Connor holstered one pistol. He waited for Malfane to pop up for a shot. Malfane appeared at the side of the pile of rubble, enveloped in a red aura, and fired the shotgun. The slug went wide and Connor returned fire, his shots bouncing off the floor inches from Malfane's head. Malfane scrambled back behind the barrier. He gripped the shotgun and cocked it, ejecting the used shell.

Connor took a potshot, it ricocheting off the top of the rubble pile and then paused. Malfane sprang up and aimed but Connor caught him, firing off 3 more shots before ducking below the line of fire just before Malfane fired. Connor ejected the used clip and drew a fresh one from his robes and slammed it in. Connor tapped his armband, a yellow aura surrounding him before he stuck his head up momentarily but brought it down as the shotgun went off.

"Connor and Malfane are at a standstill! The smoke from their weapons has created a hazy mist in the hall partially obscuring vision!" Ranethe announced.

Connor sprang back up and fired his pistol at Malfane,facing Malfane with his sideto reduce his surface area. Footfalls could be heard rounding the corner and Connor calmly drew his other pistol and tapped his armband, a red aura forming around him. He shot Wenda the instant she turned the corner, without looking. The bullet caught her in the face but was disintegrated by the force-field. Wenda fell back and her force-field glowed brightly, changing from the red of her damage card to green, as Connor swung the other pistol around to concentrate fire on Malfane.

"Connor brutally executes Wenda! Malfane's ace in this battle has just been discarded. Will he stay and fight it out or run?" Kendill said.

Malfane ducked as soon as Wenda went down. He pumped the shotgun, ejected his shell and proceeded to reload it. Connor held his fire and walked to Wenda and took the pistol Malfane had found in the ruin from her and placed it somewhere beneath his robes.A green light flashed and Wenda disappeared.

Connor took the time to reload both of his pistols before he started advancing on Malfane's position. He tapped his arm band and a red aura formed around him. He fired periodically, to discourage Malfane from standing up. He walked ever closer to the pile of concrete rubble.

"Connor slowly moves in for the kill! He's using an awful lot of ammunition, though. If he gets caught that close to Malfane out of ammo, he's done for!" Ranethe said.

As if on cue, Connor's guns clicked empty as he reached the pile of rubble. He holstered one as Malfane hesitated before bounding up, shotgun poised. As soon as Malfane's head appeared above the rubble pile Connor drew the pistol he'd taken from Wenda, a revolver, and fired. The bullet caught Malfane in the chest, the bullet-proof vest saving again, and sent him flying onto his back. His arms hit the ground hard freeing the shotgun from his grip. Connor cocked the revolver, bringing the next bullet into the chamber. He walked over and picked up the shotgun. He tosses it to Malfane who caught it as Connor fired. Malfane's force-field glowed bright green. Malfane grimaced. Connor shook his head, indicating he didn't want anything Malfane had, and Malfane disappeared in a green flash.

Connor returned the revolver to his robes and reloaded his own pistols. He took one last look around the hazy hallway. Several points of light glittered on the ground, light reflecting off the ejected shell casings of Malfane and Connor. Connor's hand held the top of his hat to keep it from flying off as he ran down the hallway.

"An impressive finish! In what appeared to be some kind of chivalry, Connor gives Malfane his borrowed weapon back before taking him out. Connor definitely came out the winner there but Malfane got some aggression points in as well," Ranethe said.

The screen changed to show Batts running at top speed which, given his gigantic frame, was not much. He had something tucked into his belt.

"In the meantime, Batts has found the target item!" Kendill said, hardly able to control his excitement.

"With Wenda and Malfane out of commission for another 10 minutes, it's between Batts and Connor!" Ranethe added.

The camera switched between the two Hunters as Batts neared the exit and Connor neared Batts. Knowing what kind of firepower would be needed to bring Batts down; Connor was running with the revolver in hand.

"Connor's gaining on Batts but the gunfight with Malfane stalled him greatly," Ranethe commented.

"We'll find out. If Connor kicks it up, he'll catch Batts at the next intersection," Kendill added.

The screen focused on Connor nearing the intersection. Batts flew by him but Connor drove into the intersection and fired, the bullet striking Batts in the back of the left knee. Batt's leg suddenly no longer supported him and he went down, sliding forward on his face. Connor never stopped running, moving in on Batts. Batts rolled over and held up the deck of cards, surrendering the item. Connor took it and Batts disappeared in a green flash. Connor pushed on to the exit. When he reached the exit zone he disappeared in a flash. The screen changed to each other Hunter who, in turn, disappeared as well. The screen then cut back to Kendill and Ranethe.

"We'll give a few minutes before the scores are totaled but I'll call it now and say Connor took that Hunt," Kendill said.

"No doubt. He'll definitely win the item and aggression categories. With Batts moving around during that gunfight I predict he'll take the movement category but that still hands Connor the win," Ranethe said.

Goria didn't care much to hear their banter. He left the room and returned to his work.


End file.
